Spill
by Belligerent-road-pylon
Summary: [Related The WB] It is a Friday night and Rose realizes that she really needs to get out more. Chapter 2 up!
1. Chapter 1

**Spill  
Chapter: 1  
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Rating:** PG (to go up in later chapters)  
**Pairing:** Rose/Joel  
**Synopsis: **It is a Friday night and Rose realizes that she really needs to get out more.  
**Author's Notes:** Related is not mine so you don't have to rub it in. It hurts enough knowing that Kyle Howard will never be with me. This takes place between the 4th and 5th episodes.

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Joel gave a quick rap upon the door before opening it. He poked his head into the room. "Are you decent?"

Rose was perched on the edge of her bed. "Aren't you supposed to wait for my response _before_ you look in?"

He grinned widely and closed the door behind him. "And miss out on the chance that you might _not _be decent? Never."

She rolled her eyes as he grabbed a stray chair, sitting backwards on it. He smirked. "So, spill."

She frowned. "Spill what? Who says I want to spill anything? I might want to remain unspilled," she babbled defensively.

He shrugged. "You sounded like you needed to spill on the phone. Plus is seems like the only reason you want me to come over now is _to_ spill." He waved his hand at her. "Which I completely don't mind! So come on. Unload. Vent. I am here for you to bog down with your baggage."

Her mouth opened and for a moment, it looked like she was going to protest. Instead she said in a rush with that trill she got whenever she complained about her sisters, "MarjeesaidthatInevertakechancesandIknowshesaysitallthetimeitreallybothersmeandyoudon'tthinkIamboringdoyouImeanItakechancesIdodon'tI?"

His eyes widen and she continued quickly after taking a breath.

"ImeanIdyedmyhairadnIknowyoudidn'tactuallyseeitbutIdid.Itwasreallyblue!Likeblue.youhavenoideaandIdroppedpremed!Thosearehughchancesright?"

Joel winced. "Uh…"

She took a deep breath and finished in a blessedly slower pace. "I know I shouldn't let this bug me anymore. But…"

"…It does." he finished.

She sighed. "Yeah."

He nodded. "You're right you shouldn't let it." He shrugged "But she is your sister so when she says stuff like that, you are gonna listen." He offered up a smile. "You're not boring, Rose. You take more chances then most people I know. And you dropping Pre Med to go into Theater should give you an 'Official Free Spirit and Wild Child' card for the next 5 years at least, no matter what else you do."

This seemed to placate her and she smiled lightly. "Thanks."

He sighed. "What I am here for." After a moment. "So, it is Friday night, what is a Wild Child like you doing this night? Something full of nudity, debauchery and maybe even an arrest at the end of it, I assume."

She frowned a little. "I was going to try getting a head start on a paper that is due next week."

Joel stared.

Rose winced and dropped her face into her palms. "Oh god. That is really lame isn't it?"

Joel pursed his lips and moved from his chair to sit down beside her on her bed. "No."

She peeked through her fingers up at him.

He smiled widely. "Yes."

She groaned and hid her face again this time shifting sideways a bit, leaning against his side.

He paused as the contact between them made his heart rate instantly increase and he steadied himself before he let his hand fall lighting on her back, giving her an awkward pat. Was it sad that he actually counted all the times that he had touched her?

Rose mumbled into her hands. "Help me, Joel."

He frowned as he was pulled from his contemplations. "Help you?"

She sat up quickly and he reluctantly drew his hand away.

"Yes! Help! Take me somewhere! A party! Or a …kegger! Something! I would even take a …_bar mitzvah! _Anything to save me from doing homework that isn't actually due for another week and a half on a Friday night."

She stood up suddenly and Joel leaned back.

She scowled to no one in particular. "I mean, I'm young. I could even be considered hot right?"

Joel swallowed. "Uh…yeah. Definitely."

"I _should _be out! It is my 'young and hot' duty," she said with conviction.

Joel nodded dumbly. "Absolutely."

She offered a hand.

He studied her outstretched hand for a second. "I guess I know of a couple parties that are on tonight." He took it and she helped pull him up.

She gave him a wide, if slightly nervous smile. "Perfect, let the debauchery begin."

He shot her a devious grin. "And the nudity?"

She gave him a smack on the arm and a small shove to the door.

"Ow, alright just debauchery it is then."

She gave him another push out the doorway and started to close it after him.

He frowned. "Wait? I thought we were going out. Why…"

She gave him an incredulous look. "I am not going out into public in…" she waved her swept her hand over her body, "this"

He tilted his head slightly. She was wearing a pair of sweats and pink T-shirt that stated 'Eeny Meeny _Hiney_ Moe' with a pink rabbit pointing to its butt. He couldn't help but smile. "What? I think you look cute."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, now get out."

He feigned a scowl and put his hand on the door, keeping it open. "Oh so they are good enough for me but not for anybody else?"

She gave him a look before placing a hand on his chest. "You're special, what can I say." She gave him a shove and the door slammed shut on his nose.

"Right." Joel tried hard not to read too much into that.

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**So, I have several chapters written that follow after this. You wanna see what happens next? Hit that delightful little purple button.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Spill:  
Chapter 2 **

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**Thanks to all the reviewers who have posted on my Related fics. Not just this one. It is nice to see us few and proud Related fans! And I am looking for a kick ass Beta if anybody is interested.**

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_'You leave me wanting more,  
Leave me waiting at the door' _

-Melanie Doane

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Joel began counting the ceiling tiles all over again. For the fourth time. The most he had gotten was sixty-eight before his eyes sight grew fuzzy and he was no longer able to distinguish one grey tile from the next. He sighed. _'five – six - seven-' _

This is what he got for asking a girl to a party. Him slouched on the floor in the hallway, waiting thirty minutes for her to get ready. '_ten - eleven – twelve – ' _

Head lolled back, he didn't notice the door open quietly.

"Joel?"

His head snapped back to view a nervous looking Rose. His mouth moved but no sound came out. Joel didn't think he had ever seen pants that low or tight on Rose. His eyes did a slow sweep of her jean clad legs and the sizable strip of bare flesh that was visible over the waistband and he felt his chest constrict. He was now certain he had never seen her in jeans like that. He would definitely remember.

He then made a mental note to go out and quickly buy her several more pairs. And burn all of the other non-tight pants she already owned. She was wearing a black zip up long sleeved shirt. It was unzipped enough for him to see a low cut shirt of some sort underneath. Joel swallowed hard.

"What?" a look of apprehension filled her face and she ran a nervous hand over her thigh, "I look terrible don't I! Marjee had made me buy them a little while ago and I-"

"No! No!" Joel stood up quickly "You look…" he searched for the right word. "Great. Beautiful. Amazing…"

Rose smiled and looked away. "Thanks."

A silent beat followed and Joel had to fight to keep his jaw off the floor.

She nibbled her lip for a moment under his intense gaze but he couldn't drag his eyes away. She looked…different. She had done something to her hair. He wasn't an expert on women's hairstyle but this wasn't as sleek as usual. And her makeup was darker, making her eyes look sexy as all hell.

"So, are we gonna go?" She nervously broke through his agog stare.

After a mental head shake he managed to stutter out. "Uh, yeah. Let's go."

She gave him a once over. "Are we stopping off at your room for you to change?"

He paused and looked down at his jeans and shirt. "This is clean," he said defensively.

She just smiled and nodded.

"Why?" His eyes narrowed and he stole another glance at his attire. "What is wrong with what I am wearing?"

"Nothing. You look fine."

He glanced down and ran his hand over the front of his shirt. "What is wrong with what I am wearing!"

"Nothing!" She grinned widely up at him and started down the hallway, but not before giving him one more visual inspection.

He sighed and stared up at the ceiling for a moment before calling out. "Wrong way."

She stopped and turned around, confusion on her face.

He heaved a sigh and scowled at her. "My _dorm _is the other way."

She smiled brightly and stared off towards his room without a word.

He rolled his eyes and took solace in the tight denim-clad view in front of him.

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"So where are we going?"

From behind her Joel helpfully called out, "my room?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Funny." She looked over her shoulder "_after_ your room, smartass."

Joel did one of those impossibly wide grins of his. "I dunno. My roommate was talking about some party down town that is supposed to be good. We could check out that."

They reached Joel's room and Rose opened the door and made her way in. It was the same as her own. Except for the very distinct feeling of 'boy' in it. She did notice that Joel's side of the room was much cleaner than his roommates.

"Your bed is made. I'm impressed." She teased.

He grinned as he unbuttoned his shirt, leaving him in a blue t-shirt. "My momma taught me well."

She just shook her head and smiled slightly.

He tossed the shirt into one of the blue dorm baskets and pulled open a draw, which she assumed held his clothes.

He turned and gave her a look.

Rose looked right back. "What?"

His eyebrows rose. "Aren't you gonna turn around?"

She grinned. "Why? You shy?"

She had meant it as a joke but before she could retract her comment or turn, he had thrown her a sly smile and his fingers had found the edge of his shirt.

She stood stunned. And hoping her mouth wasn't open.

Joel apparently, under his sweaters and button down shirts, had muscle. And pecs. And an impossibly perfect stomach. She blinked. He wasn't bulky, for sure, but…wow. She felt her face heat up. She should really turn around now. He wadded up his shirt and threw it at the basket. Oh my god, was that a tattoo on his shoulder? And did she mention the pecs?

He turned and she got a view of those lithe muscles on his side. She knew from years of Science classes that she was seeing the sides of the Latissimus Dorsi and Serratus Anterior: Back and Ab muscles. But she really didn't care about the official names at the moment; just that as he reached into his drawer, they tightened and flexed with a torturous ease and fluidity under his bare skin.

He withdrew something dark green and something white from the drawer but she really wasn't paying attention to what they were. 'Shirts?' She'd venture a dim guess. She was more focusing on the way his jeans fell nicely on his tapered hips. And those little dips that ran down either side of his abdomen and disappeared beneath his pants. God he had a nice stomach. Was it possible to have more than an eight pack? She drug her eyes up just as he pulled the shirt over his head. All the muscles in his torso lengthened for a moment as he raised his arms. Rose felt her heart hammer in her chest.

The shirt really didn't do much to stop her imagination. It was tight and white. She could still see those pecs.

Good God, this was Joel! Dorky, goofy, best friend Joel. She wore her embarrassing pajamas around him. And her acne cream! This was bad! But that did stop her from staring at him, still visualizing that tattoo. It looked tribal and it circled his nicely formed arm.

"Rose?"

Her eyes snapped instantly up. "What?' She winced and really hoped that her voice only sounded that guilty and loud inside her head.

He gave her an odd look. "I asked what you thought of my hair."

"Your hair?" She stared dumbly.

He ignored or didn't notice how she was acting. 'Yeah, my hair." He then placed his fingers on his chin and did what she suspected was his interpretation of a sexy model pout and threw his head back and forth dramatically, offering profiles of either side of his face before tossing his head back.

She couldn't help but smile and give an eye roll at that. "It looks great."

He pursed his lips and nodded definitively as he slipped into a zip up green sweater. Good-bye distracting muscles. "Awesome. Now let's get _going_!"

She offered up a smile. "Yes, let's go."

As they began to make their way to the hallway Joel stopped her.

"Hey Rose, wait."

She turned and frowned. "What?"

"I think you've…" he scowled slightly and made his way towards her and squinted. "Yeah, you've got drool," he reached out and took a swipe with his thumb under her lip, "Right there."

She would have acknowledged the quake in her knees when he had done that were she not mortified that he had caught her staring. She pulled back and made a face. "Shut up."

He looked mock-stunned. "Wait, No! I don't think I got it all!"

She stuck her tongue out and made her way to the hallway.

She shot him a dark look, hoping that is masked the flush on her cheeks. "You are such a jerk."

"A jerk who look fabulous half _nekked_ apparently." He grinned.

"Shut up!" Her voice sounding a far too shrill for her own good.

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**I hope you liked this! Next: the party! Where there promises to be alcohol and lewd dancing!**


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